The series of faces painted on stainless steel spheres are inspired by a famous painting of the Italian Mannerism, Parmigianino’s “Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror” (around 1524, see image above, photo Fabian Fröhlich and KHG Vienna). The small curved wooden plate shows the artist sitting behind a table and is particularly famous for the spectacular distortion effects a convex mirror conveys.
Expanding Parmigianino’s idea, Herbst uses highly polished stainless steel spheres and paints a face on one half. The other half of the sphere remains unpainted and functions as a powerful distorting mirror.
Expanding Parmigianino’s idea, Herbst uses highly polished stainless steel spheres and paints a face on one half. The other half of the sphere remains unpainted and functions as a powerful distorting mirror.
Since the face is depicted on a round picture carrier, the painting expands from its two-dimensional origin to the third dimension resulting in a stunnig hybrid of painting and sculpture.
Flat painting becomes multi-perspective as soon as the betrayer walks around the sphere.
The sphere sits unpaired on a nearly unvisible supporting ring and the betrayer can position the work at will - with remarkable consequences: the face seems to change its expression to a certain extent according to its alignement in space.
Flat painting becomes multi-perspective as soon as the betrayer walks around the sphere.
The sphere sits unpaired on a nearly unvisible supporting ring and the betrayer can position the work at will - with remarkable consequences: the face seems to change its expression to a certain extent according to its alignement in space.
